Pop or Poison?

Soda pop, soft drinks, cola's.. many different names for something that is basically just ridiculous amounts of sugar in some syrup artificially colored with caramel coloring, with caffeine as the cherry on top. Currently there is an ongoing debate about whether a tax should be placed on soft drinks, with the argument being that soda has much more in common with products like cigarettes and alcohol than with beverages like juice and milk.
A single soft drink can contain a lot more sugar than the alloted amount for an entire day. Consumption of soft drinks lead to issues like tooth decay, obesity type-2 diabetes and heart disease. The ramifications of excessive soft drink consumption put me on the side of those who argue that soft drinks should be taxed like other products.
I for one will still occasionally be paying that tax for my sugary fix.. Sprecher's root beer is unfortunately one of my vices.